Why 'Jack Ryan' Is a Different Kind Of Spy

by Zach Seemayer
1:10 AM PST, January 16, 2014

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Why 'Jack Ryan' Is a Different Kind Of Spy

Jack Ryan is back, this time portrayed by Star Trek's Chris Pine, and he's bringing something to the game that not many other movie spies are thought to possess: sympathy and a down-to-earth sensibility.

ET spoke with Pine, 33, at the Hollywood premiere of Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit on Wednesday night, and got his take on why Jack Ryan is such a great and classic movie character.

"With the James Bonds of the world, and with the Ethan Hunts [from Mission: Impossible], and with the fancy tricks and all that, Jack Ryan is a kind of an everyman hero," said Pine. "He can't rely on anything other than his mind, and that he's really intelligent and can solve problems."

It's that realism, Pine insists, that makes the character, created by the late author Tom Clancy in 1984, really connect with people.

"When [director Kenneth Branagh] and I talked about the film in the beginning, we had all these action sequences. And we wanted to make sure there was a human element to it, so when people are going through grave danger and fighting bad guys, you see the fear on people's faces when they have to encounter extraordinary circumstances."

Pine is the fourth actor to play Ryan. Alec Baldwin played Ryan in The Hunt For Red October, while Harrison Ford played him in Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger. Later, Ben Affleck played the iconic character in The Sum Of All Fears.

Check out the video to see what advice Affleck and Baldwin gave Pine on playing the legendary spy. Also, hear more from the cast and creators as to why Pine is perfect to play Jack Ryan.